This invention relates to the repair or reinforcing of foundation walls, and more particularly to an apparatus for reinforcing foundation walls constructed of hollow concrete blocks.
The foundation walls of residential buildings are commonly constructed of hollow concrete blocks stacked in courses and bonded together by mortar. Such a construction generally provides a foundation wall which is relatively inexpensive and simple to construct. However, a drawback of the concrete block construction is that the wall has relatively little strength to resist lateral forces, such as forces resulting from hydrostatic pressure or from backfilling of the wall. It is not unusual for a concrete block foundation wall to yield to such lateral forces, thereby causing the wall to fail at the mortar joints. These failures result in cracks which can cause water seepage and inflow into the basement area. In extreme cases, the wall may fail completely as a result of lateral forces, thus causing extensive damage to the foundation structure as well as to the overlying building.
Previous solutions to overcome the above-described problems include U.S. Pat. No. 4,563,852 to Achtenberg et al. This patent is directed to a reinforcing method in which an elongated reinforcing member is secured within a passage in the wall, and the passage is then filled with concrete. The reinforcing member is connected at its lower end to an anchor bolt secured to the concrete foundation by an expansion anchor. Such a connection to the concrete foundation is disadvantageous in that it is difficult to drill a hole in the concrete through the relatively small access opening provided. Further, the reinforcing method shown in the noted patent calls for substantial work to be performed inside the wall itself, which necessitates a slow and difficult installation procedure due to the small space within which to work.
Other reinforcing methods and apparatus have been developed for concrete block walls. However, most such apparatus and methods provide an external bracing system, which detracts from the aesthetic appearance of the wall.
A need thus exists for a reinforcing apparatus which can be installed with a minimum of work inside the block wall. A further need exists for a reinforcing apparatus which can effectively strengthen a concrete block wall without the need for an anchor to the concrete foundation. A further need exists for a reinforcing apparatus which has a minimal amount of external componentry which detracts from the appearance of the wall.